THE BEST GAMING MICE

Every PC gamer owns a mouse, but not every PC gamer owns the best mouose for playing shooters like Overwatch, or MOBAs like League of Legends. Gaming mice differ in some key ways from the average mouse: they’re lower latency, come with better software for custom tweaking, support higher DPI (more properly known as CPI, or counts per inch) settings, and use sensors that keep up with faster movements. If you play any games more intense than Solitaire, you should be doing it with a gaming mouse. But which gaming mouse? The best gaming mouse for you, more than almost any other PC component or accessory, comes down to personal preference. But that doesn't mean all mice are created equal. There are many, many bad gaming mice out there, with sensors that aren't up to snuff, terrible driver software, or cheap build quality. We've used dozens of gaming mice to pick out the best you can buy for different hand sizes, grip types, and gaming preferences. The latest version, the Deathadder Chroma uses a 10,000 CPI optical sensor (upgraded from the previous Deathadder, though most of us will never need a CPI setting that high), has a large, well-notched scroll wheel, and two large buttons on the left side of the mouse that feel satisfying to click, but are stiff enough to prevent accidental presses. The buttons sit just above a large rubber grip pad that helps keep your thumb anchored on the mouse at all times, and they can easily be pressed without repositioning your thumb. The placement and feel of those buttons and the grip pad play a large part in why I think the Deathadder is the best gaming mouse. The Deathadder has a fast, shallow click with two slightly concave grooves on the left/right mouse buttons that your fingers can nestle into. The mouse’s matte plastic texture is also fantastic—while my hand still gets sweaty when I’m playing intense games, the Deathadder’s material doesn’t make me lose my grip or cause me to sweat as much as soft touch rubber coatings. The shape of the Deathadder makes it work with palm, claw, and hybrid grips, with the palm anchored solidly on the back of the mouse with two fingers arched over left/right click. In all my time gaming with the Deathadder, I’ve never found my hand get sore, or found my hand overly relaxed when gripping the mouse—I always feel alert, but still comfortable. The mouse slides very well despite its 105 gram weight—heavier than mice like the Steelseries Sensei, but much lighter than the 145 gram Logitech G502 Proteus Core. There’s no “right” weight for a mouse, necessarily, but I’ve talked to pro gamers who play Counter-Strike, Starcraft, Battlefield, and other games, and they almost universally recommend the same thing when it comes to gaming mice: the lighter and simpler the better.